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community weblog

Minnesota general strike

Today is the widely-publicized Minnesota general strike. Teachers in NJ are wearing blue in solidarity. US Americans, what's happened in your state or region?
posted by subdee on Jan 23, 2026 at 4:29 AM

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Should have gone with me original post title: Wear Blue!

https://cea.org/stand-in-solidarity-wear-blue-to-support-minnesota-educators-this-friday/
posted by subdee at 4:32 AM

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Literally driving to work right now.... Posting from a red light.... Good luck to minnesotans and all of us today.
posted by subdee at 4:33 AM

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Someone please post about Jack Smiths public testimony before the House yesterday, it sure was something. Republicans are big mad about their phone call logs being subpoenaed, almost as if many of them took part in a vast criminal conspiracy and are now using congressional privileges to coordinate on a cover up.
posted by subdee at 4:36 AM

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Good for the people (and many businesses) of Minnesota who are participating in this. There have been many beautiful acts of support and solidarity amidst the horrors and my admiration and love (and some money) go out to them.
posted by an octopus IRL at 4:59 AM

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I can't tell you how many times I have seen people calling for general strikes on the internet for years, and they never materialize. I genuinely hope today is the day all that changes.
posted by briank at 5:24 AM

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Take note of these good people and their actions, when ICE comes to your state, this might be needed from you and yours. If you can buy nothing today in solidarity with them, or even call in sick to work, at the very least talk to your friends coworkers, fellow church members, lovers, etc about doing your own general strike if ICE comes to your state, or even just to protest all the *waves hands around* going on.

General strikes used to be a uncommon but powerful method of making change, and its good to see those old muscles awakening from a long slumber. We workers are very powerful if we act together and we are starting to remember that.

This general strike has really brought a lot of hope to me in these dark days. I hope they start doing it every Friday until ICE leaves. Then every Friday after that until wages go up and the work week shortens. And then after the work week is 4 days, every Thursday after that until action is taken on climate change.....

Good luck people.
posted by stilgar at 5:29 AM

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(Subdee, sounds like you could already make a good post about that! I know that I haven't heard anything about phone calls of Republicans being subpoenaed at all)
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:41 AM

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I don't see anything in Philadelphia for today and I'm frustrated because I know I'm out of the loop. I often miss things because they don't get put on the Indivisible search tool.
posted by Peach at 5:43 AM

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NYC: high schools and college students organizing a walkout. Marches and protests in solidarity supported by all the major unions. Expected to be huge.
posted by entropone at 6:00 AM

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Currently -21°F/-29°C in Minneapolis. This is a GREAT day to not go anywhere or do anything and I'm sure an awful lot of people have issues today because their car "won't start" if they need an excuse.

Me, I'm a Federal employee, we're not allowed to strike, and thanks to that asshole Musk we're barred from working from home ... so in a few minutes I need to find out if my car will actually start. Yay.
posted by caution live frogs at 6:08 AM

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Indivisible has links to ICE Out for Good:


If you live in Minnesota:

Come together on January 23 for a statewide day of non-violent action and reflection. No work, no school, no shopping — only community, conscience, and collective action.

Act Now in Minnesota

outside of Minnesota:

Take action on January 23 in solidarity by organizing or attending a non-violent solidarity event, demanding corporations stand up to ICE, and calling on Congress to act now to rein in ICE.

Join Actions Across the Country


There are peaceful protests planned all over the country, but there are many ways to make your voice heard, including contacting your legislators, contacting your local officials, and urging corporations to take a stand. (If you think pressuring corporations doesn't make a difference, remember Jimmy Kimmel. And Avelo Airlines.

As Stacey Abrams says,

Defeating authoritarianism isn't a cinematic moment – it's thousands of individual, community and institutional actions that are stronger and more consistent than those who would oppress us. You don't need to be an expert. You don't need permission. You just need to start. Start where you are. With what you have. Among those you know.


Thank you for this post, subdee, and for all your great posts keeping us informed about ways we can protest the horrible abuses.

And to everyone who takes action today to support and protect their neighbors and defy and decry cruelty and lawlessness:

Thank you.
posted by kristi at 6:40 AM

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Here in the UK we have put on anti-ICE vigils in London and other cities. Been trying to think of other ways Americans abroad can help.
posted by johngoren at 6:49 AM

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Here in North Carolina there are some protests planned this evening, but for the most part people have to prioritize prepping to survive the ice storm that's expected tomorrow night so I'd expect any actions to be low-key.

Big snow storms are photogenic and get on the news but big ice storms cause a lot more damage. A quarter-inch of ice is enough to take out powerlines, and most of the middle of the state is expected to get at least a half-inch of ice accumulation and some places possibly an inch, which would set an all-time record. We're already being told that power outages for most of the state's population are probable and could take at least a week to restore in many areas. Even hurricanes don't come with warnings like that.

So people who haven't been able to take time off during the week have only tonight through tomorrow afternoon to get a week's worth of supplies, water, batteries, and fuel.
posted by at by at 7:28 AM

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Good morning! In re the general strike: I don't know how much of the city will be striking, but it is clearly going to be A LOT MORE than anything I've ever seen. It was enough for the university to send out a big message saying that you had to use PTO if you wanted to be out for it, for instance. It's going to be big and well-known and could be a stepping stone to bigger things. Even though it will not literally be an entire city shut down 100%, it is big enough to register and not fizzle.

I genuinely don't know where all this is going. If the federal government were strategic, they would just declare victory and step things down. If they escalate, they are escalating problems for US, but they are also escalating problems for THEM. Different problems depending on how much they escalate. People keep saying "we will win" and I don't know about that although I don't like to harsh the mellow. But I am confident that the amount of effort needed to keep a lid on the city is going to increase, not diminish, if they escalate presence here. Even if it's troops, until they have armed soldiers ready to shoot at all major points of the city, it will be hard to keep a lid on things - and as you can imagine, that creates its own problems. It would be horrible and not outside the realm of possibility - my point isn't "oh this is great solidarity is magic". But it would not be easy.

Are you not in Minnesota? Do you have a money? Two places that need money are the Immigrant Law Center and the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center. Both have put out calls for cash connected to federal presence and I can vouch for both. Not that there's not other worthy places to donate money, but these are two good ones who have high volume programs under pressure.
posted by Frowner at 7:33 AM

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I'm in Minneapolis. Not going to work today; set my out-of-office message to explain what I'm doing instead: packing food boxes for relief aid in the morning, then downtown for the march in the afternoon.

Folks who don't live here should know: it's cold here today. Like, cold by Minnesota standards. Probably the coldest air temps we've seen since 2019. And windy. Most schools in the state are closed due to the dangerous cold and wind chills; that doesn't happen often here. But I fully expect there will be a massive crowd downtown later. Just keep the temperature in mind when you look at photos later and are assessing the turnout, is all I'm saying.
posted by nickmark at 7:41 AM

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I don't think that most people in my area know about it.

If I go to CNN right now, I can find it, but I have to specifically click on the small link that says "Minnesota ICE protests." The coverage there is a single paragraph in a series of live updates, nothing indicating what a big deal this is. I don't even want to know what Fox has to say.

Local news (which has been gutted by acquisitions of course) doesn't cover it at all. And we are a long way away, geographically - not many people here are going to be hearing about it through their personal ties.

I found out about it this morning because someone on my social media feed reposted a link about it.

I genuinely believe that this is a major challenge right now: Major protests are happening, but their extent is being covered up by the mainstream media. Do I think that is hyperbolic language? Not so sure, anymore. The function of a system is what it does, and all. It makes people who aren't already connected to the movement feel alone and at a loss for what to do and it makes it easier for those in power to ignore.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 7:42 AM

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I'm in Minneapolis. Holy shit is it cold here.

I work from home already, so status quo for me.

In the last day we've upped our monthly donations to relief orgs by a few hundred dollars. If you are wondering how you can help and feel powerless, this is one way.

In places where the ICE invasion is acute, people of color, citizens or not, are so fearful of detention they are not leaving their homes. Here is a donation link to an excellent Minneapolis one, Joyce Uptown Food Shelf. Joyce is using extra donations not only for food but also to fund home delivery, something they've not needed to do before, but then the fascists moved in.
posted by mcstayinskool at 8:00 AM

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In addition to schools and museums, at last count over 700 businesses statewide are taking part in the blackout, plus dozens more are participating by donating some or all of today's profits to local orgs helping those affected by the occupation.

Stand With Minnesota has information about ways to help.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 8:01 AM

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Is it ok to purchase from small businesses?
posted by honey badger at 8:07 AM

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Apologies if this has been posted before but, If Anyone Can Pull Off a General Strike, It's Minnesotans. (The New Republic)

"It is a hard truth about the Minnesota movement that it has gotten this good at organizing in conditions this bad because they have happened before. Still, it has been heartening to the people on the ground to watch the systems they built over the course of years not only operate smoothly but expand in a moment that feels like war. "
posted by warriorqueen at 8:10 AM

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In Rhode Island I am donating platelets this morning, sending messages to family & friends in MN, and praying the winds and cold ease before tonight's march in the Twin Cities.✊
posted by wenestvedt at 8:11 AM

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I don't watch corporate news anymore but I flipped on MSNow and there is nary a word. It's all Greenland Greenland Greenland. Good reminder why I stopped watching it all.
posted by archimago at 8:13 AM

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Is it ok to purchase from small businesses?

I think it's generally always OK to support a small business, and this past year has hardened my resolve to push as much of our $ as I can to stores owned by people who live here and treat their employees decently. To basically boycott corporate chains indefinitely, and some of them (e.g. Target, Whole Foods) forever.

Knowing, of course, that even the small family-owned grocery I shop at gets their beans from Goya, etc. I'm aware this isn't some exit into moral purity.
posted by reedbird_hill at 8:20 AM

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Misfit Coffee Co. in Minneapolis is staying open today, but giving out their coffee and pastries for free. They've also set out a couple bottles of bourbon for anyone who wants to warm up their coffee a bit more.
posted by theory at 8:24 AM

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News sites position things for different users I'm sure but a quick survey:

Guardian - top story.
CNN - top left with a Live Updates tag.
BBC - Nothing.
NBC news - 6th item. In fairness, the giant storm about to fuck up country is bigger news. I am expecting a multi day power outage in NC.
NPR - Nothing yet, but several other Minnesota ICE items.
My local North Carolina news site - 2nd item on the national news page.

I'm assuming that once the protests start in earnest, if they are substantial there may be more coverage, but I'd say it's quite prominent already.
posted by caviar2d2 at 8:34 AM

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I just looked at the Misfit site and they sell mail-order coffee and also merch like this shirt which I just ordered for myself.
posted by stevil at 8:34 AM

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Folks in MN are saying that many small businesses have been working hard at mutual aid already, and have been hit hard by employees missing work -- so they need extra support. Feel free to patronize them if you're confident their heart is in the right place or if you're really in need.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:35 AM

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The first citywide general strike in the US in 80 years should be top news everywhere in the country.

It was briefly at the top of the page on the NYT this morning but has now been bumped down slightly for winter storm coverage.
posted by theory at 8:43 AM

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(Reminder that urls aren't automatically turned into links, but can easily be made linkable (thus contributing to site accessibility) by using the "link" button in the quick-access edit buttons immediately below the comment input window. (The link button is the one on the far right of the row of buttons just under the comment box.) Linking urls properly ourselves saves mod time for actual site moderation, too! I've flagged the un-linked url from the top of the thread for mod cleanup though.)
posted by eviemath at 8:47 AM

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Hey, caution live frogs, my fellow Fed. Our office in MN along with several neighboring states are closed due to the inclement weather but your boss still expects you at work? That's messed up. Stay safe out there.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 8:58 AM

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Yep, VA. We had several meetings yesterday where we discussed this and even asked leadership for permission to tell employees they could request WFH today, and... nothing. We got "well, employees can request and supervisors can approve if they agree circumstances warrant it." So, can we TELL employees this? No. They have to know to ask. We can't tell them that we can approve if they ask. It's idiotic.

So, I drove in to work. Car in the garage so it started fine, I'm less than a mile from the VA so no big deal, but still, it's just utterly dumb. There is nearly no one here and I am of course SUPER productive, because almost no one is here to work with me on anything. Many people just preemptively took today as annual leave due to cold and uncertainty about WFH.
posted by caution live frogs at 9:41 AM

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https://www.fox9.com/news/ice-minnesota-updates-jan-23-2026

Protest at the Minneapolis airport.
posted by subdee at 10:04 AM

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(Subdee, sounds like you could already make a good post about that! I know that I haven't heard anything about phone calls of Republicans being subpoenaed at all)

Sure, but only after waiting 11 hours since my last post. Maybe tonight.
posted by subdee at 10:05 AM

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I work from home already, so status quo for me.

It's not about leaving the house - it's about refusing to work. I'm not judging one way or the other, but a work stoppage doesn't only apply to those who have to leave the house to work.
posted by tzikeh at 10:15 AM

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Today is the widely-publicized Minnesota general strike. ...

I don't think that most people in my area know about it. ...

The first citywide general strike in the US in 80 years should be top news everywhere in the country.

Is it a "general strike", or is that aspirational branding?

I have no idea what the actual scale of business closures is. I too hadn't heard about any businesses closing today in Minneapolis until this morning, and when I saw something about it, the term "general strike" wasn't mentioned.

I get that some people really, really, REALLY *want* a general strike to happen. I'd like to see such a thing myself. I'm not sure this counts.

But I'd love to see some actual numbers on the scale of this action.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 10:23 AM

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Dropping into a thread to "well ackhsually" collective action and demand "numbers" is some infiltrator shit.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 10:31 AM

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Dropping into a thread to "well acksually" collective action and demand "numbers" is some infiltrator shit

Seriously, please stop.
posted by Rykey at 10:36 AM

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Glegrinof the Pig-Man: "Dropping into a thread to "well ackhsually" collective action and demand "numbers" is some infiltrator shit."

yes. because being doubtful is right up there with ICE kidnapping folks.
Sheesh.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 10:39 AM

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If the action is ineffective, then the action is ineffective. That's not infiltrator shit. If this is effective at changing outcomes it would be the first mass protest movement of my life to do so.

The cynical responses to Yet Another Day Of Protest are, possibly, based in reality.
posted by Slackermagee at 10:45 AM

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Nah, fuck that. The whole point of the protests and actions in MN right now is that they're localized, they're not controlled by some umbrella organization that's keeping a tally, that the Nazis don't know who is doing what and to what extent, and what action is next. They're not here to throw numbers up on a board, they're under siege and fighting for their lives
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 10:46 AM

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Here's a thread to share with all your relatives and network, because you can get away with it being apolitical although of course it isn't: My heartbreaking story from Minnesota
posted by warriorqueen at 10:50 AM

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If you're looking for ways help from outside of Minnesota, look no further than this guide from Naomi Kritzer:

https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/how-to-help-if-you-are-outside-minnesota/

If you're from the Twin Cities area, you might already know Naomi Kritzer! She wrote a support guide for you too!

https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/19/how-to-help-twin-cities-residents/ 

Stay warm and safe out there friends!
posted by pwenzel at 10:59 AM

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I live in a rural town about an hour from St Paul (one of the two Twin Cities) and several of the local small businesses posted saying they will be open, they respect & support anyone choosing to stay home and emphasized community relationships. Some are donating today's profits to a local Latinx-oriented nonprofit which is delivering food to families sheltering in place to avoid ICE. Another local small business is coordinating an ICE-watch tip line to alert people when ICE is here, and where. It's the same bookstore that has been displaying a Palestine flag for a few years now, so I'm not surprised they are stepping up.
posted by Emmy Rae at 11:07 AM

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Also, the strike/protest has been the top story on Minnesota Public Radio all day.
posted by Emmy Rae at 11:09 AM

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I live here. I have lived here a long time. I have been involved in various forms of activism for decades here in Minneapolis.

If you don't think we're doing a good enough job, or think this is business as usual or whatever, come here and say that. You can take time off work or quit your job and come here and plug in to organizing, or be an urban guerilla, or however the fancy takes you. Don't go out there on god's own internet and shit on what we're doing when a large percentage of the city is plugged in to these actions.

Okay, you think it's not 1917? Come here and say that. Be the change you want to see in Minneapolis, because frankly we're already giving it all we got.
posted by Frowner at 11:12 AM

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Frowner: "I live here. I have lived here a long time. I have been involved in various forms of activism for decades here in Minneapolis.

If you don't think we're doing a good enough job, or think this is business as usual or whatever, come here and say that. You can take time off work or quit your job and come here and plug in to organizing, or be an urban guerilla, or however the fancy takes you. Don't go out there on god's own internet and shit on what we're doing when a large percentage of the city is plugged in to these actions.

Okay, you think it's not 1917? Come here and say that. Be the change you want to see in Minneapolis, because frankly we're already giving it all we got."

No one's shitting on what you're doing.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 11:17 AM

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republicans/conservatives are so x-pilled that i don't think they realize just how bad this will look to the average person

by that i mean the actual average person, not the racists the nyt always seems to find in diners
posted by i used to be someone else at 11:34 AM

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Parking at the MSP airport always sucks, so I am super proud of these Minnesotans who braved it, and the cold, to protest today. The plain speaking of the sign reading "America: this is not normal" is honestly a helpful message to combat coverage that tries to twist it.

(Unsurprised to see chopper mittens, extra layers, and plenty of wool in the crowd: no "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots" in that group, just normal people with normal lives who are stepping up and speaking out, despite the booger-freezing cold.)
posted by wenestvedt at 11:41 AM

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Livestream from local news

Wide angle photo from reddit
posted by Emmy Noether at 12:44 PM

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Is it a "general strike", or is that aspirational branding?

When a DHS spending bill somehow manages to get the bare minimum number of Democratic votes it needs to pass, is the party really showing opposition or is it just aspirational branding?

What's going on in Minnesota is way more important and more real than anything Schumer or Jeffries has done.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 12:56 PM

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i used to be someone else: "by that i mean the actual average person, not the racists the nyt always seems to find in diners"

There's got to be an SNL sketch about this somewhere, right? Racist diners?
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:03 PM

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I called it a general strike in this post because that's what the organizers are calling it, FWIW. It's being organized by the AFL-CIO and supported by several other major unions, including the Minnesota teacher's union.
posted by subdee at 1:20 PM

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The main local newspaper in the Twin Cities is the Minnesota Star Tribune. It's the seventh largest paper in the country and their coverage is general pretty centrist and corporate. Smaller news outfits have traditionally done the cutting edge reporting. But these past couple of weeks they have really been hitting it out of the park. Sure, it could be more but the fact that this is the paper the state reads this is a big deal. The cover today is really something. Front and center is a protestor being knelt on and being pepper sprayed directly in the face. They are posting non-stop about protests and marched in social media today. Gives me some hope.
posted by misterpatrick at 1:41 PM

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Hundreds of clergy descend on Minneapolis and go on lookout for ICE
posted by meese at 1:45 PM

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Frowner: "Come here and say that. Be the change you want to see in Minneapolis, because frankly we're already giving it all we got."

Won't you please come to Chicago Minneapolis, no one else can take your place.
posted by Reverend John at 2:27 PM

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I just got back from the downtown Mpls protests. The turnout, in negative double digit temps, was incredible. It's gonna be very hard to estimate but holy cow just an endless river of people. The wide angle photo posted up the page represents just a fraction of the people that were there.
posted by mcstayinskool at 2:49 PM

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Here in tiny rural coastal Oregon, I was hoping to at least leave work early and attend the protest planned for this afternoon outside Home Depot but instead I stayed home altogether with a migraine. Since I have to wear sunglasses right now to go into the kitchen, I'm skipping the protest. Solidarity and my thoughts are with you Minneapolis!
posted by mygothlaundry at 3:12 PM

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[Glegrinof the Pig-Man: "Dropping into a thread to "well ackhsually" collective action and demand "numbers" is some infiltrator shit."

It's totally ok to disagree with someone WITHOUT accusing them of being an infiltrator, so please knock it off. ]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:46 PM

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honey badger: "Is it ok to purchase from small businesses?"

nb: I am not on the ground in Minneapolis and the first thing you should do to support any strike is check with the strike organizers. But if you can't find the info you're looking for directly from the organizers, the general rue is that the point of a general strike or work stoppage is to suppress economic activity. Which is to say: buy from small businesses, but do it tomorrow, not today.
posted by adrienneleigh at 3:50 PM

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i used to be someone else: "republicans/conservatives are so x-pilled that i don't think they realize just how bad this will look to the average person"

Note that the photos clearly show that the filth arresting the clergy are either local or state PD, not la migra. Which is a good reminder that ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS and absolutely none of them are on your side.
posted by adrienneleigh at 4:03 PM

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It was MSP airport police. The protestors had cleared the action beforehand but stayed too long and were arrested, which I believe was their plan. They were kneeling in the street.
posted by misterpatrick at 5:50 PM

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Local news said it wasn't that they stayed too long but that they had too many people.
posted by Hex Wrench at 6:07 PM

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Saw this really incredible photo from the march today, looks like it was taken by Alex Kormann for the Star Tribune.
posted by oc-to-po-des at 6:25 PM

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I was down at the the march today theoretically as a chant leader—rather ineffectively, because our megaphone did not work and standing for as long as we did after march time confused me a little, but I bawled along enthusiastically anyway. (The march didn't start for almost an hour after it was supposed to, I assume because folks were trying to figure out wtf to do with the number of people who showed up.)

I was wondering the whole time whether this delay was going to be like the 2017 DC women's march, where there were so many of us we just filled the march route and no one could go anywhere. And it does look like that was probably a big factor here, too. I've been looking at the photos of the whole march and grinning to myself all evening. There was a lot of ICE activity in my neighborhood this morning, Bovino's been pressuring us hard for a few days, so it was really nice to come home and see all the photos of the march.
posted by sciatrix at 8:50 PM

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Good job Minnesota. Showing up is hard and no one wants to do it. I'm encouraged by your numbers and example.
posted by mazola at 6:09 AM

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There was another ICE murder in Minneapolis today. I'm not going to link to the story as it has footage of a murder.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:57 AM

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As a long time resident of Minneapolis who does mutual aid ish work frequently and who knows people, this is my takeaway:

What's happening right now is that more and more people are being pulled into formal and informal groups all around the metro area (and to a lesser extent outstate). These groups differ from Indivisible because they are more concretely active on the ground and their politics are much more concrete - ICE out, abolish ICE, support neighbors, provide material support, with some knock on politics around supporting other vulnerable groups that overlap, like Native people, Muslims, unhoused people.

These groups are varying degrees of formal and varying degrees of active. Maybe someone goes from zero to doing a lot; maybe they go from doing a lot to doing more; maybe they go from zero to putting up a sign and donating some diapers. Maybe the group is tight-knit, maybe it's looser; maybe it's a neighborhood group, maybe it's founded to do a particular thing like supporting unhoused people.

The thing is, connections are forming and those connections are tied to doing something on the ground.


Another important piece that I don't think is getting enough attention locally or nationally: in the most active center, there are a lot of groups of Native people and immigrants or US citizens with immigrant parents plus a lot of plug-in by Black led groups and Black activists. Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was just arrested for organizing a protest of a church whose pastor works for ICE, is a long, LONG time activist.

The mutual aid groups and other orgs that were formed during the first part of the pandemic and the George Floyd uprising basically didn't stand down or dissolve. There is overlap in these projects between white radicals and BIPOC led projects, in particular, Native groups in S MPLS. These groups/networks are not the ONLY part of what is happening, but they are key seeds.

I do not think any of this would be happening in this way without the BLM>>George Floyd>>homelessness crisis response trajectory. Partly because of the actual people involved, but mostly because of the methods of rapid, decentralized work that evolved.

Unions have been a bit on the back foot here IMO except the post office union.

I want to add that I have seen a LOT of commentary from outside of Minnesota that is extremely wrong on two fronts in particular:

1. Because of the way that BIPOC led work gets ignored and mutual aid work gets minimized, people tend to frame this as "oh it's just Indivisible on steroids, everyone just longs to go back to brunch, big nonprofits are behind it all". This is so extremely incorrect as to be completely crazed. I think the general perception that we're just a bunch of uff da white liberals at best because Flyover Country is at work here.

2. "This wasn't a REAL general strike! It is doomed to failure!!!" Look, it's possible that the feds will partially withdraw and there won't in fact be revolutionary change. It's also possible that they will bring the army in and pacify us. And if those things don't happen, frankly I do not know WHAT is going to happen instead. These are truly unprecedented times.

But what I want people to ask themselves is this: where does revolutionary change come from? Do people in fact read their Lenin (or whomever) and spontaneously rise from bed to overthrow the government? And then do they spontaneously develop new ways to run a complex society totally de novo? And then this works? Please cite examples.

Or has there always been a long, long, even generational slog where connections and organization has to grow and become normal before people can in fact make an effective mass movement that is strong enough to win?

And if it's a long slog, how the fuck do you expect people to make those connections? Again, just reading Lenin and meeting by chance? Getting harangued by a radical for an hour in the street?

One more thing: I've been seeing a LOT of "when are Minnesotans going to stop filming and start attacking", and my response is: "are you individually ready to attack heavily armed people who the state has authorized to kill you out of hand? Are your neighbors?"

Again, powerful groups -big or small, national or guerilla - grow over time. They don't just spontaneously develop, especially when they are the kind of thing where people are, on purpose and in cold blood, taking an action where they are fairly likely to get shot and possibly to die.

This is an articulation point. I personally have little idea what's going to happen. But it is extremely different from what has come before.
posted by Frowner at 8:11 AM

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There was another ICE murder in Minneapolis today. I'm not going to link to the story as it has footage of a murder.

Oh no. I heard there had been a shooting but didn't want to post and hoped it wasn't fatal.
posted by Frowner at 8:12 AM

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Honestly I was afraid of this because I figured ICE would be amped after yesterday.

Glam Doll Donuts is literally my coffee stop for friend hangouts over there. I literally would probably have had coffee there this afternoon. I cannot overstate that the nature of Minneapolis means that this is like...I don't even know, it's like ICE shooting people on Haight Street. I don't mean "oh how sad for Glam Doll patrons", I mean that this is so blatant and ICE is utterly unrestrained by any fear of citizens of any kind. They are not just attacking marginalized neighborhoods or hiding what they are doing.
posted by Frowner at 8:24 AM

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It's every day now.

Every day an innocent citizen gets murdered here in Minneapolis by ICE. The local and national media are either ignoring it, discounting it, or claiming that it is mostly "paid protestors". I'm sick to a level that I lack the ability to communicate it.. They're arresting the fucking *clergy* for protesting. They seem to be shouting at me that i have zero legal recourse. So, what should my next step be?
posted by Sphinx at 8:33 AM

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There's apparently a protest forming on the site. People are headed there right now. Tear gas has been used and, I guess, a flash-bang. The Star Tribune is saying that ICE is trying to push the police out, so god knows what that will do, although the Minneapolis Police have a godawful record on handling protests.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:46 AM

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Under The Desk News has video of the shooting on their TikTok channel, click on the triangle if you want to view it, but yeah, it's not pretty:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8fV9LDf/

posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:48 AM

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Honestly, I'm warning against viewing it. A friend shared it with me, and, while it's not bloody, it is a video of a cold-blooded murder, and I'm not dealing well with seeing it.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:54 AM

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I watched it before the news that the kid was dead. It hurts to see. It was so palpably unnecessary.
posted by sciatrix at 9:04 AM

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To add to Frowner's excellent analysis, I think you also have to look at what the clergy are putting together and organizing right now, and I think that is directly tied to activism surrounding homelessness in the city. 100%.
posted by sciatrix at 9:07 AM

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Minnesota Star-Tribune's ongoing thread.

MPD and ICE have been fighting over jurisdiction.

Several witnesses have already been transported to the Whipple building. ICE attempted to order local police from the scene, but O'Hara refused, sources said.

O'Hara instructed his officers to preserve the scene. The BCA was en route to the scene.

All available MPD officers have been called into work, except dogwatch (overnight shift), and days off cancelled.


ICE seem to be determined to get as much evidence destroyed as possible and as many witnesses intimidated as possible before MPD can get a proper investigation going, the BCA being the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 9:13 AM

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I'm watching them moving through the streets, gassing and kidnapping citizens systematically.

Jesus Fucking Christ America
posted by Acey at 9:41 AM

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The video from the woman in the pink coat is now public. It is much worse, and clearly contradicts DHS's claims.

Just before they executed Alex Jeffery Petti he was trying to shield a woman they had just tossed to the ground and were pepper spraying. They dragged him away from her and murdered him.

As expected, everything Bovino just claimed at his press conference was a lie.
posted by bcd at 11:37 AM

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From X so no link, MN BCA posted this:

The BCA Force Investigations Unit has been requested by Minneapolis police to investigate this morning's federal agent-involved shooting in Minneapolis.

Our agents and crime scene personnel attempted to access the location but were blocked by @DHSgov personnel at the scene.


Is that standard practice then, when the cops show up to investigate a murder and the murders won't let them access the scene they... just give up?
posted by bcd at 11:40 AM

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After watching the video from the woman in pink's POV, I told a friend of mine that while I have watched some absolutely horrific clips of extrajudicial killings over the past few years -- George Floyd, Tyre Nichols, and Ahmaud Arbery to name just a few -- this is the first one where I literally felt physically ill on top of the incandescent anger and crushing despair after my viewing.

Even after watching the first widely shared video of this execution, I knew that Noem, Patel, Bovino, Vance, Leavitt, Miller et al were going to tell glaringly obvious lies/distortions that are completely at odds with all the footage we see.

This is America.
posted by lord_wolf at 11:54 AM

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Murder victim worked in the ICU at the VA hospital. He was a nurse. He used to work in Research, I didn't know him personally but I for sure recognized his name as one of the staff working in my department.

If you do not wish to watch the video, I don't blame you. From what I saw, he stepped in to defend a woman who had been thrown to the ground and pepper sprayed. Based on the video, he was then was tackled by multiple ICE, pistol-whipped, and then a shot was fired. ICE stepped away from him and one of them unloaded his clip into the man. Unclear from the video who fired first but the ICE agent pistol-whipping him clearly had a weapon drawn well before any shots were fired.

He was a legal gun owner with a registered firearm. ICE will use this to claim he was a violent offender. They will not point out that carrying a firearm is a Constitutional right, that he was a US citizen and a Federal employee, that he was a registered nurse. They will claim he was a paid agitator and that he started all of this.

Alex Pretti did not deserve this. No one does.
posted by caution live frogs at 12:25 PM

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bcd: "Is that standard practice then, when the cops show up to investigate a murder and the murders won't let them access the scene they... just give up?"

I mean, they're all fundamentally on the same side.
posted by adrienneleigh at 1:01 PM

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I still don't understand the "paid agitator" defense. It's not legal to murder a paid agitator. Red herring.
posted by Rykey at 1:20 PM

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I still don't understand the "paid agitator" defense.

You really don't? I do. It's a public message to sympathetic ears: "Regardless of legality, this person deserved to die." They did the same with Renee Nicole Good-- "She had pronouns in bio, therefore..."

When dems start picking up similar messaging, or positioning certain examples in opposition ("He didn't deserve to die-- he was a US citizen!" "She didn't deserve to be shot, she was a mother!"), the subtext is that yeah, some people deserve to be executed in the street.
posted by supercres at 1:45 PM

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One thing: they murdered a white male nurse who was peacefully acting as a legal observer to show that no one is safe. This was a strategic choice. I would not rule out advance planning, at least on the level of "we're going to pick someone and kill them today". The point is to show us that unless we are quietly staying home, we can be executed in the street at any time with no consequences. This is death squad stuff. It gets worse every day, every time. Know that it will not stop with this and it will not stop here.
posted by Frowner at 1:52 PM

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"They say they're coming to save us from some evil? They're talking about our neighbors who take care of us ... Alex was murdered while he was helping. Mr Rogers said look for the helpers, & right now the helpers have a target on our forehead ... Mr Rogers would be here right now too, so I'm here."
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 2:57 PM

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New, to me anyway, video that shows a few more lies:
posted by bcd at 3:04 PM

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And, for avoidance of any doubt on bullet three there, if it is Alex Pretti's gun, that doesn't justify anything or change any of those other facts. I just feel it is important not to assume DHS is telling the truth about anything.

Abolishing ICE has become the conservative position. Disbanding DHS entirely should really be the goal.
posted by bcd at 3:11 PM

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Man killed in Minneapolis by federal agents identified as VA nurse Alex Pretti: 'He wanted to help people': Pretti, 37, worked in the ICU at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and had assisted on scientific research [The Guardian]
posted by mazola at 4:25 PM

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What is the vibe on the ground around the arrival of the National Guard? Positive/stabilizing, or more imposing law and order / cracking down on protest?
posted by supercres at 5:42 PM

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When the National Guard was mobilized after George Floyd was killed, they rampaged around and fired rubber bullets and tear gas at people, even people who were on their own porches. The National Guard isn't any more fit for these purposes than ICE or the cops - the very best you can say for them is that they're the kinds of people who want to be in the National Guard, which means they're probably somewhat better morally than cops but a lot less experienced, so it works out to much the same thing.

They are pretty blatantly being called out this time to prevent a larger protest from developing. The city's own social media literally says that they are establishing checkpoints around Whittier, the neighborhood where Alex Pretti was killed, in order to prevent people from bringing anything in to make barricades. There was apparently a mini-riot this afternoon with dumpsters on fire and an attempt to block the streets.

I think this is only going to escalate, and I'm debating whether we should try to get my partner, whose health is more fragile, out to stay with a friend in the suburbs. I don't like the idea of being in here when we may be locked down in some way with no hospital access.

The only thing I really, really hope is that the young, brave and mobile are careful enough that they don't just get boxed in and slaughtered.

And just FTR, everyone has to understand that this is the government's fault. Distantly, in the sense that politicians refused every single off-ramp to this situation for my entire life so that they could enrich themselves and their pals, and proximately, because the choices they are offering citizens are to submit and tolerate terror raids on immigrants and people of color by death squads or to go into conflict, whether that's by mass protest or other means. They are offering us only those choices. At the population level there will always be people who can't be cowed and who will fight back. When you see them fighting back, don't talk about how they should have chosen to submit.

Years ago when I was new to this site and Fukushima and Utoya happened, I would sometimes sort of wonder how my time on this site would play out and I'd wonder what it would be like if something like that happened here and I was living it while it was being blogged. And here it is, I'm within about a mile of a kind of political blast zone, in a city that is wildly unstable. I really did not, at the time, ever think that things could come to this.
posted by Frowner at 6:24 PM

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Calling in a third goon squad because the first two have caused riots is not going to help.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:47 PM

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